Michael Mosley died of natural causes on day he went missing – police say

Michael Mosley, who mysteriously vanished on the Greek island of Symi, died of natural causes, according to local police. His body was discovered on Sunday in a rocky area near Agia Marina beach, following his reported disappearance on Wednesday.

Speaking to the BBC, Greek police spokeswoman Konstantia Dimoglidou revealed that an initial post-mortem examination showed no signs of injury on his body. The estimated time of death was around 4pm local time on Wednesday, after he had left his friends at Agios Nikolaos beach at approximately 1.30pm for a stroll.

Ms Dimoglidou explained that the position of his body suggests he died of natural causes and added that further toxicology and histology reports are pending. CCTV footage from a beach bar at Agia Marina reportedly shows what seems to be the TV doctor descending a rocky slope near a fence before disappearing from view.

On Monday, Dr Saleyha Ahsan, Mosley's co-star on Trust Me, I'm A Doctor, paid tribute to her "mentor and friend". Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Dr Ahsan said: "The way that I got to know him on screen, that really personable, accessible character that he comes across on television, that's exactly how he was in real life and how he was with me."

She added: "He instantly put me at ease, settled me down, and we got on with the job. And I forgot about the cameras and the lights, we just had a really good conversation."

Dr Ahsan remarked: "He just had this ability to break down the complex and make it accessible to all."

"Science can be full of jargon, journal papers that are very dense to read, almost unreadable sometimes. But he was able to get the main point, the main messages, out of those papers, and bring them into the public domain so we could all benefit from that research."

"And I think the other thing that I've been thinking about is trust, he had this ability to make us trust him."

"It was through all sorts of means, it was through testing things out on himself first, he tried it out, he road-tested it. Once he'd road-tested it, he took us on the journey with him and then he shared the results."

"And then it was up to us if we wanted to continue on that journey with him, and many people did. He did incredible things for medicine, and for public health, in a way that I think few others have."

She also lauded Mosley's approach to disseminating information without being overbearing. She added: "It's just the epitome of what you would aspire to be as a doctor, to be able to bring knowledge and information to your patient's bedside, or wherever you see them, to bring knowledge and information that will help the person in front of you to make positive changes in their life, but without being forced to do so, without it being forced down your neck."

Revealing his experience, the individual shared: "Michael invited you, there was an invitation that was offered to you to see a different way of adjusting your lifestyle. It was gentle. Nothing was thrust upon people."

The inspiring story unfolded as former deputy leader of the Labour Party, Lord Watson, admitted he significantly benefited from this approach. Discussing it on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he stated: "He certainly changed my life. He gave me the idea that I wasn't broken."

The moment that turned everything around? "I remember the moment I first read his book, I read it on a Kindle on holiday in Spain."

Talking about the breakthrough, he highlighted: "And it was this notion that you can, in some way, reverse or put type-2 diabetes into remission with lifestyle changes and nutritional change."

Describing how this newfound understanding transformed him, he said: "It was like a light came on in my life and I just became a real fan of his work and, over the years, he's helped me maintain that and help millions of others."

Praising Michael's talent, he further commented: "And that's what great journalism is, he explained very complex ideas of science in a very simple way."

With deep admiration for Michael, he added: "I met him and it was honestly like meeting a hero, he was a hero to me and I don't underestimate that."

Stressing on Michael's influential style, he noted: "And when you listen to him, it's just that gentle, authoritative, non-judgmental voice."

On shedding light on his special philosophy, he concluded: "And he had this notion of Aristotelian wisdom, where small changes in our daily lives created habits that had a big incremental impact, cumulative impact, on our lives."

Calypso Haggett, chief executive of The Fast 800 weight-loss programme, an intermittent fasting diet that Mosley popularised, described him as a "shining light for the whole team" and said his "incredible legacy" will "energise a continuous movement for better health".

In a heartfelt tribute, Haggett also shared: "He and his work motivated us every day and we remain so inspired by his energy, passion, humour, knowledge and kindness."

"He was a great communicator and had a unique ability to convey complex messages in a simple, easy-to-understand way that encouraged many people to make positive changes in their lives. I know this is how he will be remembered."

Reflecting on her personal connection with Mosley, she added: "I had the great privilege of knowing Michael both professionally and personally. He really, truly was one of a kind and will be terribly missed by everyone."